harbison



A. T. HARRISON.

Fire Kindler.

Patented Feb. 9,1869.

Wifiwsses A. T. HARRISON, OF OLI-IbTTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EIIVISELF, WILLIAM P. HUNT AND GEORGE ESTABROOK, OF THE SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 86,667, dated February 9, 1869.

TORCH Ann FIRE-munch.

Th schedul r ferred w jg these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To an whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, A. T. HARRISON, of Clinton, in De Witt county, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and improved Torch and Fire-Kindler; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, by letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification, and in which Figure lrepresents a longitudinal section of such torch, and

Figure 2, an end view thereof.

Like parts are indicated by the same letters in both figures.

Theobject of my invention is to provide a convenient article for domestic use in kindling fires, and that may also be used as a torch, to give light for-nightprocessions, or other similar purposes; and:

It consists of a tubular reservoir, to contain benzine,

or other inflammable fluid, provided with a stop-cock, to which is l attached a wick-tube, surmounted by a burner, of such metal and construction as will not only protect the wick from burning, but will at the same time act as a conductor of heat, to vaporize the fluid, and thus cause its consumption in the form of gas.

To enable others to make and use my invention, I

y will describe it by referring to the drawings, in which-' A represents a reservoir, which may be constructed of wrought-iron tube, or other suitable material, and is provided with a cap, B, at oneend, and a stop-cock, C, at theother, both of which may be screwed thereon, or otherwise suitably connected in an air-tight manner.

To the opposite end of the stop-cock O is similarly connected a smaller tube, D, which carries a metallic cup, F, on its outer end. In this cup is closely coiled a strip of sheet-copper, of, say, half an inch wide, as shown at E, leaving small crevices between the several coils, and a small orifice in the centre, through .which latter is inserted a piece of copper wire, a, extending inward through the. tube D, nearly to the stop-cook C, and on each end of this wire is turned a small hook or ring, a, to prevent its slipping through, either in or out. The tube D is furthermore filled, from the inner side of the coil E to the hook a, on the-inner end of the wire, with raw cotton, (1, or other suitable wickmaterial.

The operation of the torch will then be as follows:

The stop-cock 0 being closed, and the. cap, B, removed, the reservoir A is to be filled with benzine,'gas-. oline, or other inflammable fluid, and the cap, B, replaced. Then, by opening communication between the reservoir A and the wick-tube D, by turning the stopcock 0, and holding the cup F downward, a sufiicieni quantity of the fluid will pass down to saturate the co po e-wt the copper coil E, which may then be ignited by applyingalighted match to its face.

The burner may then lie upturnecl, and the coil E and wire passing through the wick will soon become suificiently heated to vaporize the fluid in the reservoir,

which will continue to burn in the form of gas, on the surface of the coil, when held in a perpendicular 01-inclined position; and when the light or flame is no longer needed, the stop-cock C may be closed, after which the fluid in the wick will be evaporated in a few seconds,

. and will cease to burn.

when the cap is screwed on tight, there shall be no communication through them, between the interior of the chamber and the external air; but by unscrewing the cap, B, a fraction of a revolution, the two orifices will come opposite each other, and air will be admitted.

to allow the fluid to flow freely to the wick.

In order to economize in construction. of my apparatus, the stop-cock C may be dispensed with, and a screw-cap, similar to the cap, B, be fitted over the burn-er.

It is obvious that an instrument of this construction may be so proportioned as to be adapted for kindling fires, or by lengthening and enlarging the reservoir and burner, when used for torch-light processions, or by the application of a small-sized burner, when used as a gas-lighter, in which latter case a wooden handle may be attached to the cap, B, to give the necessary length for reaching the -gasoliers, or bracket-burners; it may also be provided with a key, or wrench, for turning the gas-cocks, to open or shut off the flow of gas.

Having thus described my invention,

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the chamber A, stop-cock G, wick-tube D, cup F, and coiled metallic strip E,g sub stantially as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

. 2. The combination of the coiled strip. E, wheat, and wick d, encased within a suitable chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The arrangement of the orifices c and c in the cap, B, and reservoir A, essentially as described, for the purpose specified.

Witnesses: A. T. HARRISON.

' CHARLES H. BENNETT,

S. F. LEWIS. 

